Electrical terminal having channel-shaped contact section

ABSTRACT

A tube terminal for bus bar application has an oval crimping ferrule for receiving twin wires and a tongue of shallow channel section of width substantially equal to that of the ferrule.

United States Patent Wladimiro Teagno;

Carlo Masino, Turin, Italy 791,269

Jan. 15, 1969 Apr. 6, I971 AMP Incorporated Harrisburg, Pa.

Jan.l7, 1968 Italy Inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee PriorityELECTRICAL TERMINAL HAVING CHANNEL- SHAPED CONTACT SECTION 2 Claims, 7Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 339/223, 339/276, 339/277 Int. Cl H01r 5/08 Field ofSearch339/223, 220, 221, 276 (T), 277, 256 (SP), 258 (S); 713/1 19 PrimaryExaminer-Marvin A. Champion Assistant ExaminerRobert A. l-IaferAttorneys-Curtis, Morris and Safford, Marshall M.

Holcombe, William Hintze, William .1. Keating, Frederick W. Raring, JohnR. Hopkins, Adrian J. LaRue and Jay L. Seitchik ABSTRACT: A tubeterminal for bus bar application has an oval crimping ferrule forreceiving twin wires and a tongue of shallow channel section of widthsubstantially equal to that of the ferrule.

Patented April 6, 1971' 3,513,721

// 9 NLADIMlRO TEAGNO CARLO MASINO ELECTRICAL TERMINAL HAVINGCHANNEL-SHAPED CONTACT SECTION This invention relates to terminals andmore particularly to electrical terminals having channel-shapedelectrical contact sections.

A terminal is formed from a length of tubular stock which is flattenedover a portion of its length to define a tongue of twice the tube wallthickness integral with a ferrule formed by a section of tube forreceiving the end portion of a wire and adapted to be crimped about thewire.

A terminal according to the present invention comprises a wire-receivingferrule portion integral with an elongated tongue of twice the tube wallthickness, the tongue having its longitudinal sides turned up to definea generally channel section.

An object of the invention is to provide an electrical terminal having achannel-shaped contact section for connection to round bus bars.

Another object is the provision of a channel-shaped contact section of aterminal to provide large area of contact with round bus bars.

A further object is to provide a channel-shaped contact sec tion havinga double thickness to assure heavy current can be carried thereby.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings inwhich there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of theinvention; it is to understood, however, that this embodiment is notintended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given forpurposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art mayfully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the mannerof applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in variousfonns, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with referenceto the accompanying partly diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is atop plan view of a terminal;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the terminal of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the terminal of FIGS. I and 2;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the terminal of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view similar to that of FIG. I of the tube terminalcrimped to a pair of stranded wires;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the connection of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

The terminal T of FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises a tongue portion 1 defining acontact section and a ferrule portion 2 integrally joined at atransition section 3. The terminal is formed from a seamless tube whichis flattened over a major portion of its length to define the tongue 1of double metal thickness, as seen in FIG. 3. The ferrule portion 2 ispartially flattened from its original circular cross section to an ovalcross section, as seen in FIG. 4, having its major axis parallel to thewidth of the tongue I. Ferrule portion 2 can, of course, take otherconfigurations as desired such as, for example, circular, rectangular,etc.

The tongue I is formed at a side of the ferrule 2 to define an extensionof the ferrule profile at one side, and the longitudinal axis of theferrule 2 is inclined relative to the tongue I at a slight angle A. Thetongue I, as seen in FIG. 3, has its longitudinal sides 4 turned up todefine a generally channelshaped section of width substantially equal tothat of the oval ferrule portion 2.

The transition section 3 between the tongue 1 and the ferrule 2 has aconcave form, as seen in FIG. 1, defining sides 5 extending rearwardlyat an inclination from the upturned sides 4 of the tongue to merge withthe ferrule portion. Transition section 3 defines a stop means to stopmovement of wires W thereinto prior to being crimped therein.

The tongue 1 IS formed in the base of the channel section with a pair ofspaced apertures 6 for receiving screws or bolts to clamp the terminaltongue to a round bus bar or other conductor.

The terminal is advantageously applicable in heavy current applicationswhere it is necessary to make bus bar connections. It is desireable tomaintain the maximum width of the tongue within a small space and thisend is achieved in the terminal of the invention by the channel sectionof the tongue. This allows the tongue to be of width equal to theminimum required while ensuring that adequate metal is retained forconducting the desired current.

The oval cross section of the ferrule facilitates the arrangement of twoflexible stranded wires for crimping in the ferrule 2 side by side, asshown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The wires and terminal are suitably matchedso that the total wire cross section is substantially equal to theterminal metal cross section, and the terminal and the wires havecorresponding current-carrying capacities. Normally this would haverequired a much wider terminal than is possible by use of the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the wires are arranged side by side withtheir ends disposed in the ferrule 2. The ferrule is crimped about thewire ends by a pair of spaced crimps 7,8, each of which has a crosssection as shown in FIG. 7. The crimp is formed by mating press dieswhich confine the cross section throughout its periphery to present alower flat surface 9, flat side surfaces 10, generally perpendicular tosurface 9 and smoothly merging with that surface through curved portions11. The upper surface of the crimp section comprises a central convexity12 between a pair of flat shoulders parallel to base 9 and joining theconvexity to the sides 10. The wire ends are deformed within the ferruleto a voidless cross sec- IIOIL It will, therefore, be appreciated thatthe aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved;however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiment of theinvention, which is shown and described herein, is intended as merelyillustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

We claim:

I. An electrical terminal formed from a metal tube, said terminal havinga contact section and a ferrule section, said contact section comprisinga tongue of flattened configuration thereby having a thickness equal totwice the thickness of the tube metal, said tongue having itslongitudinally extending sides turned upward to define a channelsection, the tongue and its sides being substantially solid and beingsubstantially longer than the ferrule section, said ferrule sectionbeing of oval crosssectional configuration and having a major widthparallel to and substantially equal to that of the tongue.

2. An electrical terminal according to claim 1 wherein said ferrulesection has an axis disposed at an angle with respect to an axis of saidcontact section.

1. An electrical terminal formed from a metal tube, said terminal havinga contact section and a ferrule section, said contact section comprisinga tongue of flattened configuration thereby having a thickness equal totwice the thickness of the tube metal, said tongue having itslongitudinally extending sides turned upward to define a channelsection, the tongue and its sides being substantially solid and beingsubstantially longer than the ferrule section, said ferrule sectionbeing of oval cross-sectional configuration and having a major widthparallel to and substantially equal to that of the tongue.
 2. Anelectrical terminal according to claim 1 wherein said ferrule sectionhas an axis disposed at an angle with respect to an axis of said contactsection.